Steep Down of Popularity

After unilateral procedure in the ordinary session of Diet by Shinzo Abe administration, supporting rate of Abe Cabinet steeply dropped in the polls operated by media organizations last weekend. The main reason was Abe’s attitude of escaping from his responsibility for explaining his involvement in the choice of Kake Gakuen, an educational corporation run by one of his closest friends, for the establishment of new veterinary faculty. The passage of the bill for introducing conspiracy crime in legal system also caused unpopularity of Abe. Decline of public support may affect political agenda including constitutional amendment.

In the poll operated by Kyodo News Agency on Saturday and Sunday, supporting rate of Abe Cabinet was 44.9%, declining by 10.5 points from last poll in May. 43.1% answered that they did not support Abe, rising by 8.8 points. 73.8% was unsatisfied with the explanation of Abe administration that executive policy had not been distorted in choosing Kake Gakuen for new veterinary faculty. 67.7% answered that it had not been good for the leading parties to have skipped voting on the bill of Revised Organized Crime Punishment Law with punishment of conspiracy crime in Committee of Judicially Affairs in House of Councillors.

In the poll by Asahi Shimbun, supporting rate of Abe Cabinet dropped from 47% in May to 41%. 65% realized the unilateral procedure of the leading parties on conspiracy crime was not good and 66% did not think the explanation on Kake Gakuen was enough.  Even 47% of the supporters of Liberal Democratic Party was unsatisfied with Abe’s explanation that he had not been involved in the decision.

Supporting rate for Abe Cabinet was lower in the poll by Mainichi Shimbun, which marked 36%. 74% was not satisfied with the explanation on Kake Gakuen and 59% required further verification on this issue after closing the ordinary session of the Diet. 47% opposed Revised Organization Crime Punishment Law and 69% thought the discussion had not been thoroughly done. It was the first time in Mainichi Poll that supporting rate of Abe Cabinet dropped by 10%.

The leading parties were worried about steep decline of Abe administration. Opposition against changing Article 9 marked 36%, exceeding 27 of approval, in Mainichi poll. LDP leaders are getting not confident in the success of national referendum for constitutional amendment, which Abe hopes to be done by 2020. Komeito is careful of slowdown in the election campaign for Tokyo Metropolitan Congress.